Chapter Text
Eddie Diaz stood in the kitchen, hand on the fridge door, frowning. He knew—he knew—there had been one last can of beer sitting on the bottom shelf last night when he’d put away the leftovers. He had been looking forward to it, too, maybe even saving it for Friday night after shift. But now? The spot was empty.
He glanced toward the trash can, just in case. Nothing.
Weird.
He didn’t think much of it that night—maybe he miscounted, maybe Buck had grabbed it the last time he was over and forgot to mention it. But the thought stuck with him like a tiny pebble in his boot.
⸻
The Discovery
The next day, Eddie was in Christopher’s room helping him look for a missing math worksheet when something caught his eye: a crumpled aluminum can shoved deep in the trash can near Chris’s desk.
Eddie froze, then bent to pick it up. His stomach dropped.
It was the missing beer.
“Chris,” Eddie said carefully, holding the can between two fingers.
Christopher froze halfway through flipping through a binder. His eyes darted to the can, then to his dad, then away entirely.
“Oh,” he said, voice quiet, almost casual. “That. Yeah.”
“That?” Eddie repeated, setting the can down on the desk. “You want to explain why I found it in your trash can?”
Chris shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “It’s just one beer, Dad. You and Buck drink them all the time. It’s not like it’s a big deal.”
Eddie exhaled slowly, trying to keep his voice calm. “You hid it from me, Christopher. Which tells me you knew it was wrong.”
Chris’s ears turned red. “I didn’t hide it—”
“You put it in your trash can and didn’t say a word to me,” Eddie said gently but firmly. “That’s hiding it.”
⸻
The Confrontation
Chris crossed his arms, defensive now. “I just wanted to know what it tasted like! Everyone at school talks about it, and—”
“Hey,” Eddie interrupted softly, crouching so they were eye level. “You could have come to me and asked. You know that, right?”
Chris’s lip wobbled, but he nodded.
“Drinking isn’t for kids, mijo,” Eddie continued, his voice steady but serious now. “Your body isn’t ready for it. And besides that, you’re not allowed. There are laws about this.”
“But you drink beer,” Chris shot back, sounding small now instead of defiant.
“Yes, I do,” Eddie said honestly. “But I’m an adult. It’s legal for me. And even then, I have to be responsible—because I have to take care of you, and I have to be ready for my job at the firehouse.”
Chris was quiet for a long time, then finally muttered, “I didn’t like it anyway.”
Eddie almost smiled at that but kept his tone serious. “That’s not the point. The point is you knew it was wrong, and you still did it. And then you tried to hide it from me. That’s two mistakes, Christopher.”
Chris’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
⸻
The Next Step
Eddie reached out and tipped Chris’s chin up. “I’m glad you told me the truth now. But you need to understand that trust is a big deal in this house. When you lie—or hide things—it makes it hard for me to trust you.”
Chris’s eyes were wide, a little watery. “Are you mad?”
“I’m more worried than mad,” Eddie admitted. “I need to know that if something’s going on, you’ll come to me. Always.”
Chris nodded quickly. “I will. I promise.”
Eddie gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair. “Good. We’ll talk more about this after dinner tonight, okay? I want Buck to be part of this conversation too.”
Chris groaned, covering his face. “Do we have to tell him?”
“Yes,” Eddie said gently but firmly. “We’re a team, remember? And Buck loves you—he’ll want to know so he can help.”
Chris peeked at him between his fingers, already dreading the lecture but knowing his dad was right.